Friday, June 03, 2011

It's starting next week. Time really does fly! Though it feels like this year a lot of gaming blogs are keeping it on the DL. We knew it was coming, but it didn't really hit me until this week that E3 was going on it's rampage on June 7th. Most publishers have already announced what games they'll be talking about. Just one look at the homepage of E3's website and you already know what to expect.

The only new things we'll really see this year is that the home audience will have greater access to the exclusive stuff. Sony's showing will be available via PlayStation Home for a more interactive experience. They'll also have a live blog of the event and playable demos through PSHome. It's enough for me to want to jump in and view this madness as it happens.

But onto my title for this posting. I found this article through CNET by Dan Ackerman, whom analyzes the history of E3 and what it means to the gaming industry.

E3 is basically the mecha of shows. Everything new and exciting for the upcoming year (most gaming cycles for studios and developers start in the summer) is on display to entice all to buy. For a while, E3 really was focused more on retailers and industry only groups. It expanded to include some of the general public (though this is still insanely limiting). The show has gone through ebbs and flows with how it approaches the convention. Some years it's all about big, flashy, get as many people jammed into the center as possible. Other years, it's keeping everything simple and to the point. The less, the better.

Trying to find a balance is difficult. I can understand why they want to go in both directions. The years where they keep it simple, interest in gaming takes a dive. The years where they go all out, the insanity makes us question why we still play games if it's just about flashy things. There's no easy fix to this.

So, what would everyone like to see at this year's E3?

I want a new Last Guardian trailer and a release date. I'm so sick of seeing the same footage over and over again for the last, what, 5 years? Just give us new images and a real date of release. That's all.